As of Tuesday, one more person has died in the Middlesex-London region and 15 more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Tuesday’s case numbers bring the total number of cases reported by the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) to 150.
Details about the 15 new cases, including the age, gender, source of transmission and current status of each patient, were not immediately available.
The MLHU reported a record number of cases for the region over the weekend, with a combined 42 cases announced on Saturday and Sunday.
At a media briefing on Monday, London’s medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie said the Middlesex-London area would reach its peak in weeks, not months, before any real drop in cases occurred.
“We are right in the midst of a pandemic wave,” he said.
“This may be the early part of the wave, or it may be closer to the peak — that is not clear, but what is clear is it’s important now more than ever to take physical distancing very seriously.”
The number of people being treated at London Health Sciences Centre facilities has gone up to 28, with 18 patients at University Hospital and the rest at Victoria Hospital. The number of patients listed as being in intensive care is at 10: five at University Hospital and five at Victoria Hospital.
Seven more cases have since been resolved for a total of 25, with the death toll now at six.
Provincially, 379 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Tuesday, bringing the total for Ontario to 4,726.
The death toll has risen to 153, with 21 new deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
As of Tuesday, over 81,000 people had been tested in Ontario, with 691 tests still under investigation and 1,802 cases now resolved.
There are 614 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario — 233 of them in intensive care and 187 on a ventilator.
Elgin and Oxford
As of Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases in Elgin and Oxford counties is still at 21.
On Saturday, health officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported one new case. The patient is a man in his 90s from Elgin who is currently in hospital.
Two of the 21 patients in the region have since died, with five people in hospital and three cases resolved. The rest of the patients remain in self-isolation.
According to SWPH, 365 people have tested negative for the virus, with 133 test results still pending.
Huron and Perth
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The number of cases in Huron and Perth is at 20 as of Monday.
On Monday, officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) confirmed three new cases that were reported the following week: one case each on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Two of the cases reported last Tuesday included a long-term care home in Stratford, Ont., marking the second and third times COVID-19 has been confirmed at a long-term care home in Huron and Perth. The first, confirmed last Monday, involves a case at Hillside Manor near Sebringville, Ont.
The two Stratford cases involve residents of Greenwood Court. Officials said they were symptomatic but not hospitalized and are now in isolation.
Of the 20 confirmed cases, HPPH says two have been in St. Marys, four are confirmed in Perth County, eight have been in Stratford and six have been in Huron County. One case in Huron has been resolved.
Huron and Perth’s only reported death involved the area’s first confirmed patient, health officials say.
The 64-year-old St. Marys man has been identified as Craig MacDonald, owner of the St. Marys Foodland, according to a report by CTV London. MacDonald tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14 after travelling to Mexico and died in hospital, according to his obituary.
According to HPPH, 294 people have tested negative for the virus, with 67 test results still pending.
Sarnia Lambton
On Tuesday, Lambton Public Health reported six new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 86.
On Sunday, health officials reported 11 people in the region had tested positive for the virus.
According to the health unit, the number of people in hospital has risen to 32, while 36 are self-isolating and four have now recovered.
The total number of deaths in the region is still at eight, with the health unit linking four of the deaths to an outbreak at Landmark Village retirement home.
The recent outbreak at Landmark Village now includes six more confirmed cases for a total of 21, involving six staff and 15 residents.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
— With files from Global News’ Matthew Trevithick
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